Fighting Fraud: How Our Pottery Studio Became an Unlikely Consumer Advocate
"Hi, I ordered a lawn mower from you guys, and I haven't received it yet..."
This was how I discovered that someone was impersonating Gravesco Pottery online. Yes, you read that right – a lawn mower. From a pottery studio.
As the owner of a handmade pottery studio in Indianapolis, I've faced my share of challenges. Clay that's too wet, glazes that don't cooperate, kilns that decide to have personalities of their own. But never did I imagine I'd be fighting an international fraud ring impersonating my small business to sell everything from washing machines to espresso makers.
The Discovery
It started with confused customers reaching out about orders they'd placed for items we've never sold. Lawn mowers, snow blowers, high-end espresso machines, washing machines – all being "sold" through websites pretending to be us. These scammers weren't just using our name; they had stolen our entire business identity, including our physical address.
The more I dug, the worse it got. They were processing payments through major credit card companies, setting up sophisticated e-commerce operations, and directing confused customers back to our legitimate business when their orders never arrived.
Taking Action
As a small business owner, I've learned to wear many hats. But "fraud investigator" wasn't one I expected to add to the collection. Yet here I was, diving deep into the world of cybercrime and consumer protection.
I began documenting everything. Every customer complaint, every fraudulent listing, every fake website. I filed reports with:
- The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center
- The Federal Trade Commission
- Multiple payment processors
- Domain registrars
- Hosting companies
- Major brands being impersonated
- Icann
- ANYONE who will offer to help
The scammers were resilient. When one host would shut them down, they'd pop up on another. They kept changing domain names: gravescoe, gravescos, gravescoi.com – each time slightly modifying our name to evade detection but close enough to be confusing.
The Fight Continues
What started as protecting our business name has evolved into a mission to protect consumers. Every time we get a site shut down, the scammers adapt and try again. But we're getting better at fighting back too.
We've learned to:
- Work directly with hosting companies to shut down fraudulent sites
- Alert major brands about unauthorized use of their products
- Help customers report fraud to proper authorities
- Create resources to help people identify scam websites
- Build a network of allies in fighting online fraud
What You Can Do
If you encounter a website claiming to be Gravesco Pottery selling anything other than handmade pottery, here's what you should know:
- We are a pottery studio in Indianapolis. We make mugs, bowls, plates, and other ceramic items BY HAND.
- We never sell appliances, machinery, or other major brands' products.
- Our only legitimate website is gravesco.com and a few other domains point to it. It might even show up as rebeccagravespottery.com - my old business name before the rebrand.
If you've been scammed by a site impersonating us:
- Contact your bank or credit card company immediately
- File a report with the FBI's IC3 (www.ic3.gov)
- Report to the FTC (reportfraud.ftc.gov)
- Document everything
- Report to your state's Attorney General
Moving Forward
This experience has taught us that sometimes your business journey takes unexpected turns. While we'd rather focus solely on creating beautiful pottery, we've embraced this additional role as consumer advocates.
We're still here, doing what we love – creating handmade pottery in our Indianapolis studio. But we're also standing guard, fighting to protect both our brand and consumers from fraud.
Remember: If you see a website claiming to be Gravesco Pottery selling lawn mowers, espresso machines, or anything that isn't handmade pottery – it's not us. We stick to what we know: creating beautiful, handcrafted ceramics, one piece at a time.
Have you encountered a website impersonating Gravesco Pottery? Let us know. Together, we can fight these scammers and protect other consumers from fraud.
